Stacking machine



Aug. 25, 1931. c. G. HALL STACKING MACHINE v Filed Feb. 5. 1950 ATTORNPatented Aug. 25, 1931 UNITED STA ss PATENT o F cef CHARLES G. HALL, OFBOISE, nmno, nssrenon TO AUTOMATIC noon mecnmnnv CORPORATION, or noise,IDnHO STACKING MACI-IIl Ilil'li.

Application filed February 3, 1930. Serial No. 425,699.

My device is primarily intended for use it in combination with adishwashing machine and has for its primary object. the stacking of thechinaware, as plates, saucers andthe like, inorder thatthe attendant mayhandle the stacked articles as a stack, to thereby eliminate theindividual handling of each piece as the same leaves the dishstation.The receiving station is fed downe wardly the thickness of one unit at atime as the articles passing down the chute enter the receiving station.Means is also provided for manually raising the receiving and supportingstation when the same is again set for use. 1 w

The invention has for its object, the stacking of chinaware into uniformpiles as the same come from the dishwashing machine,

with the receiving point, for each unit, being substantially maintainedat a constant height, throughout the stacking process.

A further object of my invention consists in providing a receivingstation at thedischarge end of a dishwashing machine that will receiveand stack the dishes as they come from the washing machine.

A still furtherobject of my invention con,- sist-s in providing a simplyconstructed machine adapted to receive, and stack, the

'ehinaware as the same comes from the washing machine.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in'certain novel featnresof construction and combination of parts, theessential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and apreferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown withreference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of thisspecification.

ceiving station. A' trigger trip 9,'made in In-the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a' battery of two stacking machines disposedadjacent each other.

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1. I a

'Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, sectional, top plan view, of the actuatingmechanism adapted for the feeding downwardly of the receiving station asthe chinaware is deposited thereupon. In this view is shown a part ofthe inclined chute through which the chinaware is required to pass,illustrating a trigger trip disposed adjacent one side of the chute.This view is taken 'on-line of Fig. 1, looking in the directionindicated.

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional, end view of one of the assembleddevices, the same being taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection indicated.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional, side- -view of the head section,thesame being" taken on line 55 of Fig. 1 ,'looking in the directionindicated- Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout theseveral views.

I preferably form my device of a base 1, a pedestal 2 is disposed uponthe base and upwardly extends "therefrom. A receiving head 3 is mountedupon the upper end of the pedestal and an inclined chute 4 leads intothe receiving station and "down which the chlnaware 5 rides. Side walls6and 7 maintainthe chinaware within the chute. .A

resilient bumper block 8, as rubber or felt,

isdisposed upon the inner wall of therece ving StllJlOii and agamstwhichthe chinaware engages as the sameenters-the rethe form of a bellcrank, is disposed within the chute and inwardly extends therein so thataseach article passes vdown the chute it is required to engage thetrigger trip 9. The trip 9 is pivotally disposed upon a pin 10, the pin10 being supported upon a lug 11, disposed upon the outsideof the wallof: the chute. A reacting element 121is securedupon its one end tothe'triggertrip 9 and-- upon its oppositely disposed end to the chutewall, the same being adapted for normally maintaining the trigger tripoutwardly ex tending within the chute area. A shaft 13 is journaledwithin suitable hearing within the side walls of the gear box 1 1..ll'lounted upon the shaft is a pinion 15, a ratchet wheel 16 and a gear17. A rack 18 is in registerable engagement with the pinion and eoactstherewith. A ratchet pawl 19 is in register- 19 able engagement with theperipheral toothed edge of the ratchet wheel 16 and a reacting element20 normally maintaining the pawl in contact with the ratchet wheel. Asecondary shaft 21 is ournaled within the gear box 15 14 and a pinion 22is mounted upon the shait 21 and is in registerable engagement with andcoacts with the gear 17. An air governor fan 23, is mounted upon the 21and acts a governor to prevent the racing 9 0f the gears at each cycleof operation. A plurality of lugs 24; are disposed upon the outersurface of the gear 17 and these lugs are in registerable engagementwith the locking latch 25 that is disposed upon the link 26. The link 26is cured upon its one end to a pin 27 disposed upon the outer end of thetrigger trip 9' and as each article enters the chute the same passesdown the chute 4, the same contacts with and actuates i ithe triggertrip 9, and in doing so disengages the locking latch 25 from the lug 2sand the weight and gravity of the head and the stack causes the rotationof the gear train until the next succeeding lug disposes upon the outersurface 17 engages the locking latch 25 thus completing the cycle ofoperation. In doing so the receiving station 28 upon which the chinaware5 is disposed is fed downwardly, a suflicient amount to compensate forthe thickness of the unit of chinaware being deposited thereupon. Thereceiving station 28 is supported. by a sleeve 29 that is slidablydisposed upon the pedestal 2. Rollers 30 and 31 are journaled upon theopposite sides of the sleeve 29 and are made to engage the pedestalcolumn 2 to thereby lessen the friction disposed between the sleeve andcolumn when the movement occurs. When the completed stack 32 disposed 59upon the column is removed from the receiving station, the receivingstation is again raised to starting position by the operator engagingthe handle 33 disposed upon the upper end of the rack 18, in doing sothe pinion 15 is rotated and likewise the ratchet wheel 16. By thereverse rotation of the ratchet wheel 16, the pawl 19 rides over theteeth disposed upon the periphery of the same.

'9 While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of 05emhodimmt herein shown and described, as

it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within thescope of the claims which follow:

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a supportingcolumn, a gear box secured to the free end of the column a receivinghead secured to the gear box, a train or" gearing disposed within thegear box, a receiving station slidably disposed upon the column andregister-ably aligned with the receiving head, a rack secured to thereceiving station and associated with the train of gearing adapted forbeing manually manipulated, a chute directly aligned with the receivinghead, a trip rockably disposed upo': he chute and adapted for beingactuated by the articles passing down the chute, and means disposedbetween the trip and the train of gearing for limitin the inovement ofthe receiving station downwardly each time the trip is actuated.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base, asupporting column upwardly extending therefrom, a gear box dis os-zedupon the free end of the column, a receiving' head secured to andsupported upon the b: .e, a chute secured to the receiv ing head, atrain of gearing disposed within the gear box, a receiving stationslidably eispesed upon the column, manual means secured to the receivingstation and associated with the train of gearing for raisingthereceiving station, and means disposed upon the chute and associated withthe train of gearing for limiting the movement of the receiving stationdownwardly a predetermined distance wnen actuated by the articlespassing down the chute.

3. In a dish stacking machine, in combination, a base, a supportingcolumn upwardly extending therefrom, a gear box disposed upon the freeend of the column, a receiving head secured to and supported upon thebase, a chute secured to the receiving head, a train of gearing disposedwithin the gear box, a ratchet wheel disposed therein, a plurality oflugs secured in spaced relationship upon the periphery of one of thegears, a receiving station slidably disposed upon the column, manualmeans secured to the receiving station and associated with the train ofgearing for raising the receiving suation, a bell crank trip rockablydisposed upon the chute, a locking latch slidably disposed within thegear box and in registerable alignment with the lugs disposed upon oneof the gears, a link connecting one end of the bell crank trip to thelocking latch, and a spring for maintaining the other end of the bellcrank trip in the line of the articles passing down the chute and formaintaining the locking latch disengagedly engaged to one of the lugs.

CHARLES G. HALL.

